diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Marker.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Marker.js
index 292a1576e7..7e672f2cd6 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Marker.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Marker.js
@@ -30,7 +30,16 @@ OpenLayers.Marker.prototype = {
     initialize: function(lonlat, icon) {
         if (arguments.length > 0) {
             this.lonlat = lonlat;
-            this.icon = (icon) ? icon : OpenLayers.Marker.defaultIcon();
+            
+            var newIcon = (icon) ? icon : OpenLayers.Marker.defaultIcon();
+            if (this.icon == null) {
+                this.icon = newIcon;
+            } else {
+                this.icon.url = newIcon.url;
+                this.icon.size = newIcon.size;
+                this.icon.offset = newIcon.offset;
+                this.icon.calculateOffset = newIcon.calculateOffset;
+            }
             this.events = new OpenLayers.Events(this, this.icon.imageDiv, null);
         }
     },